Metal-pig holder and timer



Aug. 3 1926.

C. L. STUBBS METAL PIG HOLDER AND TIMER Filed April 22. 1924 2Sheets-Sheet 1 1 TTORNEYS INVEN TOR.

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Aug. 3 1926 c. L. STUBBS 2mm, PIG HOLDER AND TIMER Filed Abril 22. 19242 Sheets-$heet 2 INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEYJ Patented Aug. 3, 1926.

CHARLES I STUBBS, 0E AKRON, OHIO.

M T L-BIG H LDEE' N TIMER" Application filed April 22, 12-24 Serial no.708,301.

The present invention relates to a. device for feeding. metal pigs topots containing molten, metal for the purpose of replenishing the supplyof metal in the pot, and the object of the. invention is to provide adevice of this character which embodies novel features of construction,whereby the metal pig Will be. caused to drop gradually into the moltenmetal so that it will be melted and inccn'poratcd therewith withoutchilling the mass of metal in the pot.

In the operation. of linotype machines and like devices molten metal isdrawn from the pot as it is reqiu red, and it is necessary to replenishthe supply of metal from time to time. .lm son'iemachines it isnecessary for the. operatorto Watch the supply of molten metal and dropa cold pi into; the. pot from time to time as it becomes necessary. Thisrequires attention on the part of the operator and iud gngient must beexercised in supplying the cold metal to the pot to see that thequantity of cold metal dropped into the pot at onetime is not suflieientto chill or freeze the metal in the pot and interfere with the properfeeding of the metal to the machine. Other linotmie machines havevautomatic feeding; devices which act automatically to refill the pot asthe, molten. metal is drawn therefrom. Some of the automatic pig feedingdeyices have clutch mechanisms for advancing a cold pig into the pot asis necessary, While others of the automatic feeding devices provide formelting the pig before. it is fed to the pot in orderto prevent chillingof the molten metal in the. pot. All of these automatic feeding devicesare complicated and are open to the objection that they are costly andliable to get out of order.

The pig. feeding device of the present invention is simple. andinexpensive in its construction and has no. complicated parts to get outof order cause trouble. The fi m 6 1. gr d l y t h nwlte metal so thatthe latter is not unduly chilled, a a i nal is g en t e crea e; he thelevel of molten metal in the pot dress Such a point h t i i nec ssary bepply add ti n et l- 'llilfi c ai Part l r term nd embodiments of theinvention are shown and described in this application for illustrativepurposes, it will be understood that n iany modifications and changescan be made in, details of construction "Without departing from thespirit of the ifi'ivention.

@ "ed hete th F or a full understanding of the invention reference.therefore, is to. be had to thefolloiving description and accompanyingdrawings, in which,;

Figure 1 is top. plan view of a metal pot having a pig feeding devicewhich is constructed in accordance with the invention attachedtl'iereto. I

Figure .1 is a front elevation of the. operatingand metal pig lfcedi 9;device, together with a fragmentary portion of the pot Lo which thedevice is attached.

' Figure 3 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 4; is a detail sectional view of the insulated contact memberwhich is mounted upon the stock and arranged for engagement with. the.float actuated arm.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of a modified. form. of the. invention. 7

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view on the line 6.- 6 of 5. i V iljigure 7 is a detail sectional View on the line 1 of 5. I i

Figure 8 is a perspective View of the. sup-' porting plate. which ispermanently secured to the. edge of the pot and detachably engages the.pig feeding device.

Figure 9 is a top plan view of a further modified form of the pigiieeding device.

Figure. 1.0 isa side iew ot the construetion shown by Fig. 9, portionsbeing. broken away and shown in section.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription. and indicated on all of the views of the drawings by likeie r e ch racters- F r he Purp se o i lu t ti n the nv tion is shown asapplied to a metal pot A of a type which is; commonly used in theconstruction of linotype machines and the like. The upper edge of thepot is rabbeted at l in the usual manner, and this rabheted; por- Q -ice-y e ut ed to. prov a ea for h met pig feedi g de c f he Pr n aveitiea; 1. .2 term o th inv nti n lustrated by Figures 1 2 and 3 thestock or body PQ ti Il 2 O t h s s pro de at flang por on 3 h ch sdapted. t be fitted n herab fim P IiiQIz l; at h apica edg a the n t, as em d. P sition y u tab e a in members uch. as h rew Th s c 2 overhangsthe interiorof the pot in a cantilever relation and is provided with anup i h P e sui n ube 23- mea z en el e with. a it. e ud ti tate *2" of afloat 8. The pig guiding sleeve 5 may extend both above and below thestock 2 and is of a suitable size and shape to loosely re ceive a pig 9of either standard or special size, as may be found preferable. A foot10 is arranged below the lower end of the pig magazine 5, being carriedby an extension or arm 11 which projects from the lower end of the pigreceiving magazine. The lower end of the pig will rest upon this foot 10and be supported thereby, so that the pig will be prevented fromdropping bodily into the pot with the possible result of chilling thecontents thereof. The lower end of the pi however will be subn'ierged inthe molten metal and as it is melted it will mix with and becomeincorporated in the body of the molten metal, with the result.- that thecold pig will feed downwardly through the guide or magazine and causeanother part thereof to be submerged in. the molten metal. The cold pigwill thus be gradually melted and incorporated in the molten metal ofthe pot and this will be accomplished with out any sudden chilling ofthe mass of molten metal in the pot. This avoids the sudden dropping ofa cold pig into the metal pot at one time which is objectionable for therea son that it sometimes results in chilling the metal or lowering thetemperature thereof to such an extent as to prevent the proper feedingof the molten metal to the linotype machine.

The float 8 may be in the form of a hollow metal ball and rests upon thesurface of the molten metal. The stem 7 of the float slides freelywithin the tubular guide 6, and both the stem and tubular guide arepreferably square or polygonal in cross section so that the stem is heldagainst rotation although it is free to rise and fall. The upper end ofthe stem is provided with a lateral arm 12 and when the level of themolten liquid reaches a certain point the lateral arm is adapted toengage a contact member and close an electric circuit to operate asignal such as a hell or light. As shown on the drawing the arm 12 willengage a contact member 13 when the surface level of the molten metal inthe pot has dropped to the pointwhere it is necessary to supply someadditional metal thereto, said level being indicated by the dotted lineB on Figs. 2 and 3, while the normal level of the molten metal beingindicated at C.

An electric signal is indicated diagrammatically at S and may be of anysuitable and conventional character such as a hell or an electric light.This signal is interposed in an electric circuit E having a battery F orsome equivalent device as a source of supply for the electric current.One of the terminals of the electric circuit is connected to the pot A,while'the other terminal of the circuit is connected to the contactmember 1.

This contact member 13 may be in the form of a screw which is threadedin an insulating bushing 14, said bushing being properly seated in asuitable opening formed in the flange portion 3 of the stock. Thecontact member is thus insulated from the rest of the mechanism and theelectric circuit is open until the lateral arm 12 engages the be openedand the signal S rendered inoperative. It will thus be obvious that inthe operation of the device the signal gives time ly warning to thelinotype operator whenever the level of the molten metal drops to acertain point and it is then merely necessary for the operator to inserta cold pig in the magazine of the pig feeding device There is nocomplicated mechanism to get out of order and cause vexatious delays.

A slight modification is shown by Figs.

5 to 8 inclusive, in which the device has a quickly detachablyconnection with the metal pot and can be readily placed in positionthereon or removed therefrom without the necessity of unscrewing orloosening any special fastening members. The stock 53 is provided with alooped finger piece 15 by means of which it can be conveniently graspedwhen placing it in position or removing it therefrom. The flange portion3" of the stock is provided with a pair of openings 16 and theseopenings are adapted to engage pins 17 upon a strip or plate 13 which ispern'ianently secured in the rabbeted upper edge portion 1 of the metalpot A by suitable fastening members such as the screws 19. The pins 17tit in the openings 16 of the flanged portion of the steel: andcooperate therewith to support the stool: from one edge thereof in anoverhanging or cantilever relation to the pot. It will be obvioushowever, that the device can be readily lifted out of position anddisengaged from the pins 17 whenever it is desired to remove theattachment from the metal pot. The pig receiving magazine or sleeve 5-corresponds exactly with the magazine of the previous form of theinvention, and the signal operating means is identical with thatpreviously described. This form of the invention has the advantage ofenabling the attachment to be readily applied to the metal pot orremoved therefrom and the at tachment can be used interchangeably uponthe metal pots of a number of linotype matill lit)

chines, it being merely necessary to apply one of the plates 18 to eachof the metal pots.

A further modification is shown by Figs. 9 and 10, in which the stock 2is provided with a pig receiving sleeve or magazine 5 which has anelongated formation and is shaped to receive a flat pig instead of acylindrical pig. The flanged portion 3 of the St(7.l{ is formed withopenings 16" which are adapted to engage the pins 17 of the plate 18and. a suitable finger piece is provided for convenience in handling theattachment. The signal operating mechanism is omitted from this form ofthe invention, so that it will. be necessary for the operator to feed acold pig to the pot whenever it is necessary and without depending upona signal to warn him that the surface level of the molten metal hasdropped to such a point that some replenishment of the metal supply isnecessary.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is,

l. A pig feeding attachment for a conventional metal containing potincluding a pin member permanently carried by an edge portion of the pota stock member adapted to be applied to the mouth of the pot so that itoverhangs the interior of the pot in a cantilever relation, one end ofthe stock member being formed with an opening which is adapted todetachably receive the pin member whereby the stock can be quicklyplaced in position or removed therefrom, and a pig feeding mechanismcarried by the stock.

A pig feeding attachment for a conventicnal metal containing pot,including a pair of complemental plates having a quickly detachable andinterlocking conneetion with each other, means for securing one of thecomplemental plates to the metal containing pot, and a pig feedingmechanism carried by the other complemental plate and adapted to bedetachably supported in an overhanging position over the pot, theinterlocking connection between the plates enabling the pig feedingmechanism to be quickly placed in position or removed therefrom.

3. A pig feeding attachment for a con ventional metal containing pot,including a stock having a flange portion which is adapted to engage anedge of the pot, means for detachably securing the said flange to theedge of the pot to support the stock as a cantilever in an overhangingrelation tothe interior of the pot, and a pig feeding mechanism carriedby the stock.

4. A pig feeding attachment for a conventional metal containing pot,including a stack formed at one side thereof with a' flange, means fordetachably securing the flange to an edge of the pot to support thestock as a cantilever in an overhanging relation over the pot, a pigfeeding mechanism carried by the overhanging portion of the stock, astem slidably mounted upon the stock, a float at the lower end of thestem, and signal actuating means adapted to be actuated by the stem.

A pig feeding attachment for a conventional metal containing pot,comprising a plurality of upright pins permanently carried by the pot, astock provided with openings adapted to detachably receive the pins andto cooperate therewith to position the stock aS a cantilever in anoverhanging relation to the interior of the pot and prevent eitherlateral or vertical swinging of the rec end thereof, and a pig feedingmagazine carried by the overhanging end of the stock.

6. A pig feeding attachment for a conventional metal containing pot,including an elongated strip adapted tobe permanently secured at therabbeted edge of the pot, a plurality of pins projecting upwardly fromthe strip, a stock provided at one edge thereof with a flange portionhaving openings therein adapted to receive the pins for holding thestock removably in position with the body portion thereof overhangingthe interior of the pot in a cantilever position and a pig feedingmagazine carried by the overhanging end of the stock.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES L. STUBBSH

